Jodie Whittaker Named As First Female ‘Doctor Who’

Jodie Whittaker Named As First Female ‘Doctor Who’

The lead role in popular British sci-fi television series “Doctor Who” will be played by Jodie Whittaker who will become the first woman to play the character in its 50-year plus history.

The 35-year-old British actress, who starred in the award-winning television crime drama series “Broadchurch”, will play the 13th Doctor.

Whittaker succeeds the current star, Peter Capaldi, who took on the role in 2013 but announced in January that he would leave after the 2017 Christmas Special.

Whittaker’s casting marks an important moment in “Doctor Who” history.

Though the show has had a host of strong female characters, from Michelle Gomez’s The Master and Alex Kingston’s River Song to companions like Amy Pond (Karen Gillan) and Rose (Billie Piper) — no woman has ever portrayed the title character.

Whittaker said it was “completely overwhelming” to be taking on the role and she wanted to tell fans of the series “not to be scared” by her gender.

“As an actor, as a human, as someone who wants to continually push themselves and challenge themselves, and not be boxed in by what you’re told you can and can’t be. It feels incredible,” she said.

“This is a really exciting time, and Doctor Who represents everything that’s exciting about change. The fans have lived through so many changes, and this is only a new, different one, not a fearful one.”

Whittaker is expected to first appear in the Christmas Special and take over the role in the following season.